St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-12-23
Horrible and Heartrending
Details Coming in From
the Stricken Districts.
Another Natural Gas Explo-
sion With the Usual Re-
suits at Findlay, o.
Special to the Globe.

to be at least sixty. Few Eastern resi-
dents of the state really thought such
an alarming condition of affairs existed,
and they are now most literally re-
spending to calls for aid. j. Packney,
mayor of Ashland, Clark county,
reached this city this morning, and
from him the story of the storm in that
county was learned. lie said: "When
the blizzard struck the western settlers
last Monday they were in many in
stances entirely out of fuel. Sunday
was mild and pleasant day and no one
seemed prepared for the fearful storm
that followed. About 10 o'clock on Sun
day snow began falling, which soon
GREW INTO A BLIZZARD.
The wind came from the north and the
snow soon became binding. 1t was
almost impossible for any one to travel
in the storm. Two men, named John
Henry and John COtter, ell route to
Texas, left Ashland an hour before the
storm began. Their bodies were found
the next day ON the prairie, five miles
west of town, frozen stiff. The team
which they had with them was found
fully twenty miles south. The animals
had drifted with the wind and, becom-
ing exhausted, sank into the snow and
cuing parties left Ashland. A sod house
was the first entered, and pitiful sight
met the gaze of the rescuers. The en-
tire family of five, named KanouS, were
found frozen stiff. Some were sitting
bolt upright on stools. while the mother
of the family lay dead in bed. No fuel
could be found about the place. The
rescuing party gathered the bodies
together and brought them to
Ashland, where they were buried
Bruce G. Freddy, real estate agent of
Ashland, who had been out in the cOun-
try looking at claim, was found dead
about half mile from the limits of the
town. He had started home before the
storm, but lost his way and perished.
When Mayor Packney left his home
yesterday no other bodies had been re-
covered, but the town had been
TURNED INTO AN HOSPITAL
for those who had not been totally
frozen. A great number had limbs
frozen which, in several cases, required
amputatiOn. A gentleman from Gree
ley county gives even a more startling
account. Three men left Horace, in
tending to go to claims short distance
from town. They wandered around all
night, and finally one of them, a Mr..
Gibbs, sank exhausted in the snow
His companions could not in
duce him to continue the tramp
in search of shelter, and were
finally compelled to leave him. His
body was found the next day. The
other two men kept on, and finally
reached dug out, where they gained
shelter. Both had their arms, feet and
ears frozen and cannot live. The same
gentleman tells distressing story of
hn 81 I,
his wife and child. They went to a
ranch Just before the blizzard became
serious, and asked to be taken in and
sheltered. The ranchmen refused to
receive them, and after wandering on
for some distance the blizzard became
so severe that the horses became I'M
manageable and turned the wagon over,
throwing out the mother and child. The
baby soon succumbed and then the
mother died. The father and husband
covered the bodies with the wagon box
and started out to find shelter for him
self. His hallOoing finally attracted set
tiers and the emigrant was taken in and
warmed, but it was too late. Both feet
were frozen, and before physician
could be summoned he died. A wild
owed mother, living with sixteen
year-Old son and younger daughter in
names cannot now be learned. The son
was sent out by his mother in search of
fuel. After waiting for some time for
his return the mother and daughter at
tempted to go to the house of their
nearest neighbor. All three lost their
way
IN THE BLINDING SNOW
and perished. Three death are reported
from Ford county, twelve miles from
Mead county, and five from Stevens
county, but it is impossible to learn the
names, as no direct communication is
possible with these counties. Private
dispatches from Lane, Scott and Wich-
lta counties give equally as horrible de-
tails. Mrs. Riley and her two children
were frozen to death near DightOn,
Lane county, while six deaths are re-
ported from Greeley, nine from Wichita
and three from Scott county.
Many new counties are located IS and
$50 miles from telegraphic communica-
ton and details come in slowly. The
residents of this city held public
meeting tonight to raise funds and pro-
visions for settlers, and the sufferers
will be properly taken care of. A train
load of provisions will leave Wichita
for the West in time to reach the needy
by Sunday and will be given them as
Christmas present. Other cities and
towns in the state will also contribute
corn, wheat, coal and clothing, and it is
believed the state will be able to take
care of all sufferers. The blizzard was
the worst that ever ragged over Kansas
since it was inhabited, and the mortality
of stock is very large. The, weather
moderated little to-day.
NEBRAsKA'S VISITATION.
LINCOLN, Neb., Dec. 22.-It is be-
lieved that the reports of the blizzard
sweeping over Western Nebraska will
show that number of lives were lost in
the storm. Owing to the distance from
the railroad of the new and more unprO-
tected homesteads and settlers, the facts
cannot be known for several days. In
the recently organized county of
Pickens the death of man and
boy is reported. They were attempting
to make their ranch. twenty miles from
Ogallata when the storm OverpOwered
them. Both were frozen to death. An
other man, named John Grant, who had
been on railroad construction work ON
the Black Hills extension of the Bur
lington & Missouri River road, was
found dead a mile out from camp. On
the Kansas line no deaths have been
discovered, although suffering is re-
ported as very severe.
AN IMPROVEMENT NOTED.
TOPEKA, Kan., Dec. 22.-The situa-